You know those dog days of preseason, where the only thing sweatier than the Florida air is the battle for a roster spot? Well, there’s an extra set of sharp eyes watching the Bucs’ every move this summer, but unless you’ve been hanging around the sidelines on social media, you might not have caught on yet. If you’re a football junkie, you know the NFL loves its ‘fellowship’ success stories. Are you spotting any new energy around Todd Bowles’ camp lately? Maybe a little Miami swagger? Something in the water at One Buc Place?

Here’s the fun part. Insiders, X sleuths, and even a few nostalgic Hurricanes fans are buzzing about a ‘familiar face’ popping up in Tampa. You can almost hear the college football diehards nudging each other, ‘Hey, is that who I think it is?’ If you’re a fan who loves seeing legends mentor the next generation, or you remember when college defenses struck as much fear as a lightning storm, this is your moment.

Now, for the big headline: As tweeted by FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, former Miami Hurricanes head coach and longtime college defensive maestro Randy Shannon has joined the Bucs for the preseason as a coaching fellow under Todd Bowles. That’s right, the architect of some of Miami’s fiercest defenses (and most disciplined locker rooms) is rubbing elbows with NFL talent, bringing his 30+ years of wisdom and “U” energy to the Buccaneers’ staff this summer. “A familiar face on the Bucs sidelines — former Miami coach Randy Shannon is working as a fellow on Todd Bowles’ staff through the preseason. Was at FSU the last four years,” Auman posted, and fans quickly took notice.

So, why does this matter? For one, Randy Shannon’s career reads like a college football blueprint: head coach at Miami (2007–2010), stints at Florida and UCF, and a recent run as Florida State’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He’s mentored NFL-bound talent at nearly every stop, including nine first-team All-Americans and over 75 NFL draft picks. His specialty? Turning raw athleticism into calculated, high-IQ football, something any team with Super Bowl ambitions can use in August. And guys, if you were around for Miami’s 2001 title run, you know this guy’s been at the heart of greatness.

If there’s one thing Randy Shannon knows, it’s how to speed-run a state! Think about it. He’s treated Florida as his own personal coaching circuit, jetting from the Miami Hurricanes (his alma mater) to the Miami Dolphins, then sprinting through stints with the UCF Knights, the Florida Gators, and the Florida State Seminoles. And just when you thought he might kick his feet up, he pops up in Tampa Bay with the Bucs, adding ‘NFL’ to another corner of the Sunshine State map. It’s almost like he’s on a mission to coach every single team from Miami’s glitter to Tampa’s Gulf, if there’s a football field under palm trees, keep an eye out, because Shannon might show up next with a whistle and a playbook!

So, what should you be watching for as preseason unfolds? Will Shannon’s trademark fundamentals rub off on the Bucs’ linebackers? Could his proven eye for detail help solidify Tampa’s depth? Or, will this NFL stop launch the next phase of his coaching ascent? Only time will tell. But as August rolls on and helmets clash, keep your eyes on the sidelines, because Tampa just got itself a little piece of “The U,” and that might make all the difference when it starts to count.

Randy Shannon’s FSU Exit

Randy Shannon’s exit from Florida State was largely the fallout of the 2024 season that left fans, boosters, and administrators reeling. After a sharp decline in on-field performance and a defensive unit that failed to live up to FSU’s elite standards, the writing was on the wall for changes. When head coach Mike Norvell brought in Tony White and Terrance Knighton to reshape the defensive staff, Shannon became one of several casualties, marking his third firing or reassignment by a major Florida program in recent years. Simply put, after a season many described as a program ‘cratering,’ the Seminoles’ brass decided a full-scale shakeup was the only way forward.

Shannon’s coaching tenure at FSU showcased his greatest strength: developing the talent already on the roster, especially at linebacker. Players like Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune emerged as all-ACC contributors under his watch, and even many of Shannon’s three-star recruits showed marked improvement as they matured. His eye for refining ‘football IQ’ and extracting the best from players with modest recruiting pedigrees won respect in the locker room. However, there’s a ceiling to this approach. In modern college football, blue-chip talent often dictates who plays for championships, and Shannon consistently struggled on the recruiting trail to land those coveted four- or five-star linebacker prospects.

That recruitment weakness ultimately put a cap on the defense’s potential. While the players he coached clearly improved over time, the lack of athletic, high-upside recruits left FSU facing talent gaps against college football’s best offenses. The reliance on maximizing lower-rated recruits was admirable, but it didn’t move the needle when it came to competing at the highest level. And as the 2024 season spiraled, those limitations became glaringly obvious. So, while Shannon left behind improved players, the program determined it needed a recruiter who could bring in the next generation of high-impact stars, not just get the most out of mid-tier prospects.